I'm in the market also. Looking forward to your review.
Battery Powered Chainsaws
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
As I have mentioned in other post I hate batteries. I have 2 drill & driver sets in my shop. That's it. So when I needed a small saw & leaf blower I went with corded versions & a 100 ft. drop cord. All my cutting is around the house so the drop cord will get me were I need the saw. If I had a larger slice of land I too would go batterie.
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I had a corded saw years ago. It worked well until I strung several cords together to reach a tree. Burned it up.
I guess I like batteries. At least I like cordless tools. My lawn mower and trimmer are battery powered, so is my bush trimmer. I have a cordless framing nailer. Plus drills, drivers, reciprocating saw, two circular saws. My latest favorite is my 12V Milwaukee oscillating saw. I used it to cut out a joint on some old drawers today so I could salvage the wood. Works great. But my corded tools work too, I just have to mess with the cords (instead of messing with the batteries).
I guess I like batteries. At least I like cordless tools. My lawn mower and trimmer are battery powered, so is my bush trimmer. I have a cordless framing nailer. Plus drills, drivers, reciprocating saw, two circular saws. My latest favorite is my 12V Milwaukee oscillating saw. I used it to cut out a joint on some old drawers today so I could salvage the wood. Works great. But my corded tools work too, I just have to mess with the cords (instead of messing with the batteries).
Hi Jim, I main problem with corded portable tools is the tangled cords when you're trying to use them. My solution to this problem is cutting the power cords on the shop tools to about 6 or 8 inches long. I keep a 25 ft. power cord hanging under my workbench. This lets me go anywhere in my shop with a tool. If I need to take a tool outside I have longer cords. This has worked very well for me in my shop. For somebody else in their shop it could be a pain in the thsh.
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I picked it this morning, took it home and assembled it. It came well packaged in a box with almost everything needed to put it into operation. Can you guess what it didn't have? Bar and chain oil was not included and after reading the manual, it was not listed as a component of the parts included. Not a deal breaker but it did require a return trip to the dealer. The battery required nearly 6 hours to reach initial full charge. Now I just have to give it a go, hopefully, in the next few weeks.
Raymond, I think you will be pleased with the performance of your new Stihl chainsaw. I am totally hooked on Stihl products (I have two gas chainsaws, a gas leaf blower, a battery leaf blower, a gas string trimmer and a battery pole pruner) and have had great service from all. Something I don't think anyone has mentioned (I could have skimmed over it) is the excellent service provided by the local Stihl dealers and that Stihl manufactures their products in the USA. Happy sawing - be careful!
Raymond, I regret that you had such poor service from your local Stihl dealer.
My dealer always "assembles" my new equipment. I suppose that is a difference in dealer philosophy.The dealer employee should have told you that you also needed the bar and chain oil-"you'll news this too. It's only a few dollars a gallon."
Can you tell us the exact specifications of the saw that you bought? Bar length (10 or 12"), battery charger #AL101 or AL500?
Thanks.
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The closest 'dealer' was actually a Northern Tools retail outlet - this particular store is an authorized full service and repair dealer. I don't fault this dealer for not offering assembly service nor for informing me that the oil was not included as I dealt with a general store employee and he may not have had all of the information about that brand and product. Besides, I enjoyed the few minutes it took me to read the manual and assemble the chain saw.
I did not realize Stihl had authorized dealers in national chains. My dealer is Woods (no relation) Cold Storage in Stuart, VA.
I recommend you assemble yourself, you need to understand how the thing goes together. Otherwise you will have to go to a shop to fix every time the chain jumps it track.
Also, once you establish the chain tension on the saw, run it for 5-10 mins cutting then recheck. The new chain will stretch a bit. Bar oil rarely comes with the saw these days and if it does it is 6 oz or so,
The 2 things to be aware of with chain saw are the wear on the bar and the links connecting holes getting egged (typically caused by over tightening), these are danger signs and cause the chain to jump or break.
Finally, old school trivia. Bar oil can be made and used to be made (I used to do this 40 years ago) with 90 wt gear oil and thinned with kerosene. Yeah it does smell a bit but what we used if we didn't have bar oil. Today, alot of the lubes are mix of Canola oil and some other stuff, more environmentally friendly.
Also, once you establish the chain tension on the saw, run it for 5-10 mins cutting then recheck. The new chain will stretch a bit. Bar oil rarely comes with the saw these days and if it does it is 6 oz or so,
The 2 things to be aware of with chain saw are the wear on the bar and the links connecting holes getting egged (typically caused by over tightening), these are danger signs and cause the chain to jump or break.
Finally, old school trivia. Bar oil can be made and used to be made (I used to do this 40 years ago) with 90 wt gear oil and thinned with kerosene. Yeah it does smell a bit but what we used if we didn't have bar oil. Today, alot of the lubes are mix of Canola oil and some other stuff, more environmentally friendly.
Yes, Scott (ScottM), I do read the mauals for all tools and vehicles. (The majority of my vehicles went over 250K miles before I got rid of them; only one that didn't was the original Toyota Hybrid Prius - that hybrid system was a p.o.s. and the main reason I will not have another hybrid vehicle.)
Oka, the oil produced for and labeled by Stihl is considered a biodegradable oil and even states that in the manual ...'Stihl recommends using rapidly biodegradable STIHL BioPlus.'
Oka, the oil produced for and labeled by Stihl is considered a biodegradable oil and even states that in the manual ...'Stihl recommends using rapidly biodegradable STIHL BioPlus.'
I bought the Stihl 115pt4i 10" pole saw earlier this year. 36V battery, with reviews stating it has 30 minutes run time. I have used it well over an hour, and the "3 LED" battery indicator still has 2 LED's lit. I have used it to cut 8"-10" limbs, and it still chews wood like a beaver. I see no reason a Stihl battery-operated chainsaw would underperform. But the performance does come at a price.
Just one caution if it concerns you: Chain saw chaps are not rated for use with electric saws. Not to say they won't provide some protection, but they may not stop the chain like with a gas saw. With a gas saw, fouling the chain results in a drop in RPM and torque. With an electric saw, the increased drag results in the amp draw increasing, thus increasing torque, possibly to the amount needed to overcome the fouled chain.
I wish I was independently wealthy - I would love to see a head-to-head comparison between the Stihl and the comparable E-GO saw.
I bought my wife a cheap Ryobi battery blower - thinking she wouldn't use it - she did and when the batteries died, I thought well, lets research the best and least expensive blower - I looked at various and ended with Stich and E-Go... I talked with a manager at ACE and he said "Fewer problems with the E-GO and the warrantee on the machine AND battery is much better!"
my 40 V Ryobi chain saw has done what I needed it to do so far. It leaks bar oil but otherwise works fine. I haven't used a chain saw much since moving to SC but used one quite a bit more in PA before moving here in 1999. I found Stihl bar oil to be worth the extra price. It stayed on the bar better. I was too lazy to drive to a Stihl dealer when I need some for the Ryobi so I bought what they had. Works but I think Stihl was better. I suspect their battery powered saw is better too. But Ryobi works.
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